SACS

Over the past century, the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS) has been a strong advocate for quality education through its dedicated work in both the secondary and college division.

Founded in 1895, SACS accredits over 13,000 schools and school systems throughout the United States and overseas. SACS’ College Commission is an accreditation division of AdvancED, which is a parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Im­provement (NCA CASI) and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE).

The division dedicated to post-secondary education, entitled the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and School, is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. The Commission strives to enhance the educational quality throughout the region and improves the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students.

SACS has grown to include historically black colleges and universities, community and tech­nical colleges, private institutions and for-profit institutions. It serves as the common denomina­tor of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Latin America and other international sites approved by the Commission on Colleges that award asso­ciate, baccalaureate, masters, or doctoral de­grees. The Commission also accepts applications from other international institutions of higher education.

Focus on post-secondary education

The Commission is one of the divisions of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It has a 77-member board elected by the 800 member institutions. Of those 800, 13 are elect­ed members who serve as the Executive Commit­tee. There are approximately 38 full time staff and over 4,000 peer reviewers and volunteers in the evaluator registry.

Because the Commission is a membership-based organization, revenues are generated from dues, attendance at the annual meeting and Summer Institute, the sale of publications and a variety of fees for services. The members are col­leges and universities in the 11 southern states from Texas to Virginia, Latin America and an in­stitution in Dubai. They are concerned about the assessment of student learning and the continu­ous improvement of the academic enterprise.

Technology

Since its inception, the association has adapted to various changes in the field of education. “The Internet and computer technologies have impact­ed the classroom, from distance learning to ad­ministrative functions like online registration and other business functions,” says Belle S. Wheelan, President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The Commission has reduced the costs as­sociated to the storing of paper reports by up­loading them into electronic files. “We provide programs that allow Committee reports to be organized into an electronic file prior to visits as well as allowing institutions to submit reports to us electronically,” says Wheelan.

In addition to accrediting post-secondary institutions, SACS is a strong advocate for qual­ity education. “We do this through ensuring that institutions comply with the requirements in the principles of accreditation, attending meetings with other accreditors, participating in the federal process of negotiated rulemaking, presentations at national and regional meetings,” explains Wheelan.

SACS will continue to assist institutions in ensuring that they are able to provide students with the necessary tools to be successful. In the future, the association will also work on improv­ing their members’ overall use of technology for the betterment of the students. AB

www.sacscoc.org